Legend Bowl devs on offering both an arcade-style and simulation experience

Legend Bowl is coming to the Switch on August 9th, 2023, so you’ll be able to take it for a whirl yourself in just a matter of hours. While football fans don’t have Madden on Switch, something like Legend Bowl aims to offer a deep experience in terms of mechanics, but a look and feel that interests those who enjoy arcade action.

In an interview with Nintendo Life, lead developer Javier Martinez spoke a bit more about how the team threaded the needle of simulation and arcade experience to create a game that works for everyone.

Even though we love realistic gameplay, we also wanted players to enjoy the easy to “pick up and play” aspects of an arcade sports game. The pixel graphical style is one of those arcade elements that make the game feel like an old-school arcade game. On the field, even though the controls are deep, they’re also easy to pick up especially when lowering the settings to easier levels. There are also specific on-field actions that separate the game from real life, such as stiff arms sending guys flying and wrestling challenges being simple, instead of including a bunch of swim moves. The passing meter, for instance, can be nerfed to make it super simple to throw perfect passes. It’s the same thing with kicking the ball, which people sometimes have a difficult time with when playing on the harder settings. The overall aesthetic of the game gives you that arcade vibe, but it’s a nice mix of both that we think players will enjoy.

[Javier Martinez]